In 2025, Shanghai Port achieved a record-breaking throughput of 55.06 million TEUs, maintaining its top position among global ports for 16 consecutive years. To ensure the efficient operation of this global trade hub, Shanghai Customs closely followed the deployment of the special action for cross-border trade facilitation, using artificial intelligence as the core engine to build a maritime intelligent inspection platform. It was the first customs office in China to achieve a digital closed-loop inspection system covering all elements of "objects, behaviors, and rules" at ports. By deeply integrating digital twins, artificial intelligence, and big data analysis technologies, it broke through the bottleneck of supervision efficiency at super-large ports. While strengthening the national security defense line, it continuously improved port clearance convenience, injecting strong digital and intelligent momentum into the continuous optimization of the port business environment.

Reconstruction with full-chain digital intelligence: building a "smart brain" for port inspection

The intelligent inspection platform has tailored a full-chain digital intelligent control system for port inspection, encompassing "digital base - digital identity - digital scenario": integrating data from nine internal and external core business systems to establish a unified and shared digital base; assigning container numbers as exclusive "digital identities" to achieve seamless data flow and full traceability throughout the entire chain; constructing a digital twin scenario for ports, accurately mapping the real-time status of on-site personnel, equipment, goods, and venues to virtual space, elevating port supervision from "on-site hustling" to "cloud-based intelligent control". Simultaneously, leveraging artificial intelligence algorithms, the entire inspection process is meticulously decomposed into 12 standardized operational units, allowing AI technology to penetrate the entire process from risk pre-judgment before inspection, intelligent assistance during inspection, to efficient processing after inspection. This enables automatic capture of cargo information, intelligent identification of abnormal items, precise push of inspection key points, and reconstructs the supervision paradigm with technology.

Machines help speed up: opening the "fast lane" for customs clearance

Backed by a digital intelligent control system, Shanghai Customs has transformed its business, management, and law enforcement logic into systematic rules, replacing manual legwork for enterprises with data and assisting customs law enforcement with machines. On the one hand, the entire process transparently displays the status of cargo inspections, breaking down the information barrier between customs operation areas and enterprise waiting areas, allowing the policy benefits of "unaccompanied inspections" to directly reach market entities. On the other hand, inspection assistance robots replace repetitive basic tasks, streamlining manual processes and improving operational efficiency. Data shows that 75% of manual operation units on the intelligent inspection platform have been replaced by machine assistance, significantly enhancing customs clearance efficiency.

Empowered by intelligent assistants: cultivating "golden eyes" for supervision

The intelligent inspection assistant has been developed and put into use, equipped with core functions such as one-click image recognition and comparison, and vector retrieval. Relying on the customs historical inspection image database and large image model, this assistant has changed the traditional operation method of "relying on visual inspection, memory, and phone inquiries", achieving instant information retrieval and precise cargo comparison, significantly reducing the frequency of enterprise inquiries, and truly realizing "seamless supervision and tangible convenience". Actual test data confirms that the on-site operation time of customs officers has been reduced by about 50% compared to the traditional mode, and both supervision accuracy and operational efficiency have achieved a two-way leap, continuously optimizing the efficient and transparent business environment at ports.

Gao Yikun, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Customs Supervision Office, stated, "With the comprehensive acceleration of the construction of Shanghai as a globally leading international shipping center during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, key projects such as the Xiaoyangshan North Operation Area and Luojing Port Area are steadily advancing. The cargo handling capacity of Shanghai ports will continue to expand and upgrade. Shanghai Customs will continue to deepen the innovative application of artificial intelligence technology in the field of port supervision, continuously unleash the potential for customs clearance facilitation, and empower the high-quality development of the shipping hub through technology."

The digital supervision of the intelligent inspection platform for customs is a vivid epitome of Shanghai Customs' iterative upgrading and innovative practices in facilitating cross-border trade. It is continuously driving international trade towards new directions and improvements. Since the beginning of this year, Shanghai Customs has been deeply promoting the special action for facilitating cross-border trade, focusing on five directions: digitalization, precision, integration, coordination, and ecologicalization. It has introduced more than 40 facilitation measures in 16 categories, promoting the implementation and effectiveness of measures such as the "digital customs declaration hall", "one country, one product, one policy" for imported fruits, and facilitation for passengers entering and exiting at airports. It continues to enhance the "business +" brand of customs, giving market entities a more tangible sense of gain, and striving to create a "Shanghai model" for facilitating cross-border trade, providing solid support for the upgrading of Shanghai's international trade center.